Could We Even Win a Real War

[BigRed]

Let’s say “red dawn” happened. Russian’s Cuban’s North Korea’s and Chinese troops invaded somehow. The government is in disrepair and scattered or dead.

Do we have say mechanics to repair old planes to drop even 55 gallon drum bombs From piper cubs? Do we have the ability to produce gun ‘s and ammo if we can’t get steel from China or drill bits from Germany? Will the teenage “wolverines “ put down the game controller long enough to fight or even load a truck with supplies? Can we ramp up the female population into factory workers as we did in WW 2? Do we even have the manufacturing plants to ramp up?

if all imports go away do we have gas, transformers, electrical cable, starters, pumps, dam control, railroad spikes or track, ect. You get the idea.

i don’t really worry much about an invasion like “red dawn” cause we are in a wonderful area geographically with two neighbors and two oceans.

That border to the south is wide open for anybody from anywhere to walk right through. Hell, terrorists, Russians, and Chinese already are.

 

[asevans]

I don’t know
Could we replace our military equipment, artillery barrels, steel ships, bullets and powder. Seems we have exported all our heavy industry, foundries, steel mills. A lot of those machines can never be replaced.
AA

 

[BigRed]

I don’t know
Could we replace our military equipment, artillery barrels, steel ships, bullets and powder. Seems we have exported all our heavy industry, foundries, steel mills. A lot of those machines can never be replaced.
AA

Yep.....and much of the "know how" is gone....

Just try to find a good machinist these days.

 

[1DOWN4UP]

 

[Yowally]

Besides all of our recent technology in all sectors has been copied by foreign interests like China.

 

[Indyhd]

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Great pic of the current administration !!

 

[Bugzilla]

Todays Infantry Marines are Still Marines.

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Guy on the right reminds me of Tackleberry from Police Academy

 

[Indyhd]

Todays Infantry Marines are Still Marines.

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Scanning that picture for Todd Young. He was a marine in case you didn't know...

 

[BigRed]

Scanning that picture for Todd Young. He was a marine in case you didn't know...

I think I heard a campaign ad that might have mentioned that.

 

[Vodnik4]

Guy in the back row is definitely Pedro. After his experience in student government he decided to better himself.
(Napoleon Dynamite reference).

 

[Creedmoor]

Scanning that picture for Todd Young. He was a marine in case you didn't know...

I appreciate his Service.
Mr Young is a Marine POG, A POG is,
People Other than Grunts.

 

[Creedmoor]

Guy on the right reminds me of Tackleberry from Police Academy
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I'll pass that on.

 

[Karl-just-Karl]

I'll admit I am confused about the premise of the question, I don't know what a current "actual war" looks like. For every generation that has fought a war they have looked different.

My takeaway from the presentation of your graph reinforces that we are already fighting a war, we just don't/can't/refuse to recognize what that war is, how it is being fought, or how much is being spent on it.

Technology, global economics and psychology have changed everything.

 

[KellyinAvon]

I appreciate his Service.
Mr Young is a Marine POG, A POG is,
People Other than Grunts.

He was in "counter-intelligence". The joke writes itself here.

 

[KellyinAvon]

I'll admit I am confused about the premise of the question, I don't know what a current "actual war" looks like. For every generation that has fought a war they have looked different.

My takeaway from the presentation of your graph reinforces that we are already fighting a war, we just don't/can't/refuse to recognize what that war is, how it is being fought, or how much is being spent on it.

Technology, global economics and psychology have changed everything.

You bring up some good points KjK. The Vietnam-era senior NCOs had doubts about those of us who came in during the Regan build-up. That force held the commie hoard off and gave the Iraqis the biggest arse-whoopin since Hannibal showed the Romans the double-envelopment at Cannae.

When I was a senior NCO... these young kids, GEESH! They kicked serious arse in the days before the nation-building. These are also the ones who did what they were ordered to do, and did it extremely well. Wars aren't lost on the battlefield.

Real war? That's the one you are fighting. Do I have serious concerns about the woke-culture that has infiltrated the Military? Very much so.

 

[Leadeye]

When WW2 started my grandfather volunteered, but was told he was going to contribute in another way. An ace tool and die man working for GM, the government sent him all over the country getting companies up to spec making war material. He told me that everybody was motivated to get the job done, and the results were amazing. Unlike our adversary the US embraced "totaler krieg, kurtzester krieg" very early. A Ford plant making a B-24 every hour, Kaiser shipyards launching an escort aircraft carrier every week, more aluminum than the rest of the world combined, and the atomic bomb. In a years time this country cycled from peace to military power beyond imagination. We could do it again.

 

[buckwacker]

When WW2 started my grandfather volunteered, but was told he was going to contribute in another way. An ace tool and die man working for GM, the government sent him all over the country getting companies up to spec making war material. He told me that everybody was motivated to get the job done, and the results were amazing. Unlike our adversary the US embraced "totaler krieg, kurtzester krieg" very early. A Ford plant making a B-24 every hour, Kaiser shipyards launching an escort aircraft carrier every week, more aluminum than the rest of the world combined, and the atomic bomb. In a years time this country cycled from peace to military power beyond imagination. We could do it again.

The point I made was that all the amazing things we did in this country as part war effort took us from a debt to GDP ratio of ~40% to ~120% which according to many brought us to the brink of financial collapse. How could we do the same thing today when we would be STARTING with a debt to GDP ratio the same as it was at the END of WWII?

 

[Karl-just-Karl]

The point I made was that all the amazing things we did in this country as part war effort took us from a debt to GDP ratio of ~40% to ~120% which according to many brought us to the brink of financial collapse. How could we do the same thing today when we would be STARTING with a debt to GDP ratio the same as it was at the END of WWII?

I think I see what you are getting at. Maybe it had something to do with the proximity to the end of the gold standard. Our national budget and federal deficit has gone completely off the rails when compared to anything in history.

The rise of the Petroldollar, the usage of the US Dollar as the basis of global currency exchange and dominance of the Dollar as an IMF Reserve Currency changed all the rules.

The evolution of American manufacturing for war output might have been a once in a global history kind of event. The innovation and technological advancement that took place is now taken for granted and (IMO) underappreciated. I would love to launch into this discussion but it would create a wall of text that could probably be seen from orbit.

So back to the original question, are you trying to figure out if the United States could engage or defeat a foe of parity on the other side of the world?

Could our citizenry be motivated to "join up" to the point that disqualification from service could be the cause of suicide?

Could our military be of sound planning with the goal of victory meaning laying waste an enemy and his nation?

Could politicians and media keep from meddling in the social messaging of a conflict?

For many reasons, I believe my answer to all of these questions is "No".

 

[Pepi]

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Picture of our 'NOW' government

 

[Timjoebillybob]

View attachment 228573
God help us.

For comparison my unit July 1989….
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Funny but not really a fair comparison though. The top picture is from a pre-basic prep course. It's to get people who couldn't qualify to even get into basic ready to get into it. Think the chubby kid that wants to join but can't because they are so out of shape so the recruiter sends them to PT with the local NG troops until they are ready. I'm guessing that the photo of your troop was post basic at a minimum and deployed.

‘Prep course’ pilot breaks basic training norms — and just might work

The Army’s top initiative to address its recruiting shortfall is throwing the basic training playbook out the window, but early data shows it may work.

www.armytimes.com